PlumpKitty
Reasons to stick around
Jan 14, 2008
Things to get here BESIDES support:
***current info on how to succeed post op by those who have done it
***current info on YUMMY high protein foods
***current info on post op care (body and mind)
***a constant reminder of WHY we did this (thank you pre ops and newbies!!!)
***a constant reminder of the golden rules to long term post op living
The moment you walk away from support group, regardless the form, you go back to relying on YOU. That is the same you who led you down the forbidden path of ignorance to your health and a focus on your immediate desires. Well for me this is true at least ;) You may be here for entirely different reasons.
I wont be turning my back on the support that has led me here to more than 100% excess weight lost. I need my ass kicked just as much as the next person when it comes to staying true to what I know I need to do for me.
***current info on how to succeed post op by those who have done it
***current info on YUMMY high protein foods
***current info on post op care (body and mind)
***a constant reminder of WHY we did this (thank you pre ops and newbies!!!)
***a constant reminder of the golden rules to long term post op living
The moment you walk away from support group, regardless the form, you go back to relying on YOU. That is the same you who led you down the forbidden path of ignorance to your health and a focus on your immediate desires. Well for me this is true at least ;) You may be here for entirely different reasons.
I wont be turning my back on the support that has led me here to more than 100% excess weight lost. I need my ass kicked just as much as the next person when it comes to staying true to what I know I need to do for me.
My Plastic surgery consultation
Jan 14, 2008
I went to see the plastic surgeon. He is Dr. Haswell here in Fredericton. We talked for about 30 minutes. He is very friendly and easy to talk to. He's quite impressed with my RNY and the weight loss that has followed. He had a good groping of all of my problem areas and agrees they need help, desperately.
Interesting tidbits:
After feeling me up the doc proclaimed that I had no fat left to lose, everything left is skin, some feels thicker like fat but its not and he called it some name but it flew in one ear and out the other.
My back skin, which has become a nightly problem with folding over and waking me in a fevered sweat dripping state, would not be helped with an LBL. It needs a tailored vertical incision much like my front so it will be held off until last in case the skin tightens up on its own.
My abdomen muscles are in GREAT shape. I told him I hold my stomach in all the time. He said that will do it. BTW I hold my tummy in because it seems to take strain off of my back and helps me stand better, ok and to look smaller but but but, it totally didnt work for that :P I had thought my main muscle was split but no that which I thought was muscle is thick skin-(extra name again). My muscles are much deeper and are very strong.
The wait list for elective surgery in Fredericton is 10 - 12 months. It can be shorter if you opt for the "stand by" route and are ready to take someone else's slot if they cancel. I am opting for this :P
The cost, if I have to pay 100% of the bill will be around $5500. No, that isnt a typo ;) The doc is of the opinion it will be covered partially if not fully.
So next step is I take photos of my goodies and email them to the docs office. He has already dictated the letter to send to medicare. His assistant will have the letter and photos done within a week and mailed off to medicare. He said recently they have been getting answers in 2ish weeks. So by the time I get home from my cruise I will know what medicare is willing to cover, if anything.
$5500 is chump change so Im not worried if its not covered. Even poor white trailer trash like me has that laying around ;)
The doc made absolute certain that I understood the limitations of surgery. He considers doing my tummy upper, lower and mons in one surgery to be a huge amount (since when was 20 pounds huge ;) and the more he does at once the less predictable the outcome. He said it is likely I will need a second surgery on these areas to fix leftover issues made by surgery itself. He said it would likely be a day surgery, freeze and squeaze me sort of thing :)
I am well aware that chosing to do this locally means I will probably be getting a less artistic job than going away. In a city of 40,000 people the plastic surgeons are doing numerous procedures and not specializing in any one area. If I were to go out of country I would likely get a surgeon who only performs TT and LBL type surgeries, who would no doubt be much more experienced at the ways to make this surgery as perfect as possible. I wouldnt have aftercare or the comfort in knowing that IF something goes wrong Im covered. I have to say being a plane ride away from my RNY surgeon made for very tense days. Always worrying something would go wrong, for like 6 months post op. It wasnt a stress I would gladly take again. BUT that stress was neccesary, it was life or death and had I opted to go for local WLS I would still be waiting for my first consult appointment.
In my personal cost benefit I will take security over beauty. I have no misconceptions of my new "hot" body. Its pretty much only hot in comparison to my old body. I will be happy to be rid of the clothing and sanitary issues my excess skin create and maybe it will be perfect after or maybe I will need touch ups. As long as its GONE Im happy :)
So, step 1 complete. Tonight NEW nudies, the last in my series until post op plastic surgery. I know you have been waiting for these since Ive lost another 30 pounds since my last nudies :P
Interesting tidbits:
After feeling me up the doc proclaimed that I had no fat left to lose, everything left is skin, some feels thicker like fat but its not and he called it some name but it flew in one ear and out the other.
My back skin, which has become a nightly problem with folding over and waking me in a fevered sweat dripping state, would not be helped with an LBL. It needs a tailored vertical incision much like my front so it will be held off until last in case the skin tightens up on its own.
My abdomen muscles are in GREAT shape. I told him I hold my stomach in all the time. He said that will do it. BTW I hold my tummy in because it seems to take strain off of my back and helps me stand better, ok and to look smaller but but but, it totally didnt work for that :P I had thought my main muscle was split but no that which I thought was muscle is thick skin-(extra name again). My muscles are much deeper and are very strong.
The wait list for elective surgery in Fredericton is 10 - 12 months. It can be shorter if you opt for the "stand by" route and are ready to take someone else's slot if they cancel. I am opting for this :P
The cost, if I have to pay 100% of the bill will be around $5500. No, that isnt a typo ;) The doc is of the opinion it will be covered partially if not fully.
So next step is I take photos of my goodies and email them to the docs office. He has already dictated the letter to send to medicare. His assistant will have the letter and photos done within a week and mailed off to medicare. He said recently they have been getting answers in 2ish weeks. So by the time I get home from my cruise I will know what medicare is willing to cover, if anything.
$5500 is chump change so Im not worried if its not covered. Even poor white trailer trash like me has that laying around ;)
The doc made absolute certain that I understood the limitations of surgery. He considers doing my tummy upper, lower and mons in one surgery to be a huge amount (since when was 20 pounds huge ;) and the more he does at once the less predictable the outcome. He said it is likely I will need a second surgery on these areas to fix leftover issues made by surgery itself. He said it would likely be a day surgery, freeze and squeaze me sort of thing :)
I am well aware that chosing to do this locally means I will probably be getting a less artistic job than going away. In a city of 40,000 people the plastic surgeons are doing numerous procedures and not specializing in any one area. If I were to go out of country I would likely get a surgeon who only performs TT and LBL type surgeries, who would no doubt be much more experienced at the ways to make this surgery as perfect as possible. I wouldnt have aftercare or the comfort in knowing that IF something goes wrong Im covered. I have to say being a plane ride away from my RNY surgeon made for very tense days. Always worrying something would go wrong, for like 6 months post op. It wasnt a stress I would gladly take again. BUT that stress was neccesary, it was life or death and had I opted to go for local WLS I would still be waiting for my first consult appointment.
In my personal cost benefit I will take security over beauty. I have no misconceptions of my new "hot" body. Its pretty much only hot in comparison to my old body. I will be happy to be rid of the clothing and sanitary issues my excess skin create and maybe it will be perfect after or maybe I will need touch ups. As long as its GONE Im happy :)
So, step 1 complete. Tonight NEW nudies, the last in my series until post op plastic surgery. I know you have been waiting for these since Ive lost another 30 pounds since my last nudies :P
Why We Need To Increase Calories Over Time
Jan 13, 2008
Because:
1. eventually you would die, starvation
2. eventually you will stop losing weight, hybernation syndrome
3. the longer you go on minimal calories without changing it up, the more you mess up your metabolism.
4. in the first few months your pouch is healing, very restricted diet means little strain on the healing pouch.
5. normal people need food, eventually we lose enough weight to be normal.
6. hunger can mean you NEED more food. many women are famished the week before their period. those who give in and eat tend to lose LOTS those who dont, not so much.
More???
1. eventually you would die, starvation
2. eventually you will stop losing weight, hybernation syndrome
3. the longer you go on minimal calories without changing it up, the more you mess up your metabolism.
4. in the first few months your pouch is healing, very restricted diet means little strain on the healing pouch.
5. normal people need food, eventually we lose enough weight to be normal.
6. hunger can mean you NEED more food. many women are famished the week before their period. those who give in and eat tend to lose LOTS those who dont, not so much.
More???
Who are you hurting?
Jan 13, 2008
When your medical team refuses to see the big picture, look at research or understand that your health is a big deal, who are you hurting by listening to them anyway?
At this point in time RNY has been done for decades. The perk of such a well established proceedure is learning from other people's mistakes and misfortune. We are very much in a bubble on this board with most of the regs pre op to 2 years post op. There are many long term consequences of the malabsorbtion of RNY. These can be best seen by looking at those people who have suffered due to lack of knowledge. Should we suffer too? KNowing what they did wrong (even unintentionally) should make us better prepared, right?
Then why on earth are you still taking calcium carbonate (caltrate, tums etc)???
Calcium carbonate needs a vat of stomach acids to break it down to a point of absorbtion in the intestines. If you had RNY you do NOT have a vat of stomach acids. You have a slight trickling of stomach acids that co-mingle in the intestines. On occasion under perfect conditions you may comingle at the right time and place to absorb a small amount of the calcium carbonate. Most of the time you get nothing from it.
Calcium citrate is the only established calcium that we can absorb.
There is a reason why this is such a muddied issue. Lab tests will be perfect for calcium if you take calcium carbonate or calcium citrate. Therefore doctors see no reason to demand that you take the citrate. Your body leeches calcium from your bones to resupply the blood when n calcium is available in the digestion process.
So when does the problem occur? 5 - 10 years down the road. Long after you havent seen your RNY surgeon and are suffering excruciating pain which turns out to be osteoperosis, or other similar calcium deficiency illnesses. This happens to men and women, young and old. You are not safe from this possibility if you continue to eat calcium carbonate.
Just because "my doctor said so" doesnt make it true. Many doctors demand calcium citrate where others say it doesnt matter. In the end YOU are going to suffer from ANY mistakes doctors make in deciding your care. In this day and age we cant blame doctors for everything. Most of us have access to information to see if they are on the level.
At this point in time RNY has been done for decades. The perk of such a well established proceedure is learning from other people's mistakes and misfortune. We are very much in a bubble on this board with most of the regs pre op to 2 years post op. There are many long term consequences of the malabsorbtion of RNY. These can be best seen by looking at those people who have suffered due to lack of knowledge. Should we suffer too? KNowing what they did wrong (even unintentionally) should make us better prepared, right?
Then why on earth are you still taking calcium carbonate (caltrate, tums etc)???
Calcium carbonate needs a vat of stomach acids to break it down to a point of absorbtion in the intestines. If you had RNY you do NOT have a vat of stomach acids. You have a slight trickling of stomach acids that co-mingle in the intestines. On occasion under perfect conditions you may comingle at the right time and place to absorb a small amount of the calcium carbonate. Most of the time you get nothing from it.
Calcium citrate is the only established calcium that we can absorb.
There is a reason why this is such a muddied issue. Lab tests will be perfect for calcium if you take calcium carbonate or calcium citrate. Therefore doctors see no reason to demand that you take the citrate. Your body leeches calcium from your bones to resupply the blood when n calcium is available in the digestion process.
So when does the problem occur? 5 - 10 years down the road. Long after you havent seen your RNY surgeon and are suffering excruciating pain which turns out to be osteoperosis, or other similar calcium deficiency illnesses. This happens to men and women, young and old. You are not safe from this possibility if you continue to eat calcium carbonate.
Just because "my doctor said so" doesnt make it true. Many doctors demand calcium citrate where others say it doesnt matter. In the end YOU are going to suffer from ANY mistakes doctors make in deciding your care. In this day and age we cant blame doctors for everything. Most of us have access to information to see if they are on the level.
WoWs
Jan 12, 2008
good morning peeps :) Ive had some weird moments lately. I might actually be seeing something close to reality.. and to be honest its a little scary...
*** I wake up in the morning, all snug in my thick blankies and duvet and pull back the covers to someone else's body. My brain is expecting to see an enormous tummy hiding the rest of me from view. What I actually see is a flat tummy, boney hips, skinny legs and well.. me. I think I was still seeing the old me so much that I didnt have this momentary shock. Its like pulling back the covers and seeing a mermaid tail or a mans body or just about anything that's not a massively obese me. I kind of like it. It really opens my eyes to the success Ive been blind to for so long. My logical mind knew it was happening but I had to just trust it was true.
*** I went shopping yesterday and Im still having trouble getting MY size the first time. So I pick the size I think I am and get it and a smaller size too. Almost every time the smaller size was the one that fit. It has been so surreal because not only am I a normal(ish) waist but for the first time Im normal breasts too. I had my breast reduction when I weighed 190 pounds and never saw oneder land again until after RNY surgery 10 years later. When I weighed 145 pounds before I had 38DD breasts... nothing looked "right" off the rack :( BUT now.. Im Im Im ... Im normal? Its insane really.
*** My two closest r/l friends, patty and paul, lead a busy life. Usually we see them once a year or so. Since meeting them 10 years ago I have weighed between 230 and 330 pounds pre op. I saw paul last Christmas when I weighed 268 pounds and have not seen him since. Patty I saw this summer when I was down to 170. She was in awe then saying if she saw me on the street she wouldnt recognize me. I laughed it off knowing she's a doll and often exaggerates a bit in the form of compliments. Well yesterday I was wandering through Chapters and I bumped into patty and paul. Patty was just speechless, sort of murmering as she looked me over but paul had a completely blank look on his face. She starts nudging him asking if he knew who I was and I could see him working his brain (he was the second down from minister of agriculture for the province so he has a pretty big brain to file through) and he just had that confused smile kind of shaking his head. This made me even more confused than him. Patty says "its T!!" and recognition took another 5 or 10 seconds to set in. Then the light bulb went off and he says T!!!! OMG!!! It was really unexpected for me. I just assume everyone knows who I am still. So we decided to have dinner together and paul spent most of the time talking to pookey (pookeys and environmental scientist so they have lots in common) and Patty and I caught up on recent deaths, divorces and degrees. The entire time paul would look at me evey few moments just barely able to hold his conversation. Patty would giggle at him of course and we would all chuckle. I heard pookey say to paul that finding me out has become very difficult because he was used to finding the biggest girl in the crowd to see me, now he has to actually pay attention to what clothes/colors Im wearing or he walks right past me.
All in all it was a great day I got many beautiful clothes for my trip that actually look pretty darned good on me. Im no runway model, my panus is semi visible when I move certain ways but all in all I look 1000% better than I did a year ago :)
*** I wake up in the morning, all snug in my thick blankies and duvet and pull back the covers to someone else's body. My brain is expecting to see an enormous tummy hiding the rest of me from view. What I actually see is a flat tummy, boney hips, skinny legs and well.. me. I think I was still seeing the old me so much that I didnt have this momentary shock. Its like pulling back the covers and seeing a mermaid tail or a mans body or just about anything that's not a massively obese me. I kind of like it. It really opens my eyes to the success Ive been blind to for so long. My logical mind knew it was happening but I had to just trust it was true.
*** I went shopping yesterday and Im still having trouble getting MY size the first time. So I pick the size I think I am and get it and a smaller size too. Almost every time the smaller size was the one that fit. It has been so surreal because not only am I a normal(ish) waist but for the first time Im normal breasts too. I had my breast reduction when I weighed 190 pounds and never saw oneder land again until after RNY surgery 10 years later. When I weighed 145 pounds before I had 38DD breasts... nothing looked "right" off the rack :( BUT now.. Im Im Im ... Im normal? Its insane really.
*** My two closest r/l friends, patty and paul, lead a busy life. Usually we see them once a year or so. Since meeting them 10 years ago I have weighed between 230 and 330 pounds pre op. I saw paul last Christmas when I weighed 268 pounds and have not seen him since. Patty I saw this summer when I was down to 170. She was in awe then saying if she saw me on the street she wouldnt recognize me. I laughed it off knowing she's a doll and often exaggerates a bit in the form of compliments. Well yesterday I was wandering through Chapters and I bumped into patty and paul. Patty was just speechless, sort of murmering as she looked me over but paul had a completely blank look on his face. She starts nudging him asking if he knew who I was and I could see him working his brain (he was the second down from minister of agriculture for the province so he has a pretty big brain to file through) and he just had that confused smile kind of shaking his head. This made me even more confused than him. Patty says "its T!!" and recognition took another 5 or 10 seconds to set in. Then the light bulb went off and he says T!!!! OMG!!! It was really unexpected for me. I just assume everyone knows who I am still. So we decided to have dinner together and paul spent most of the time talking to pookey (pookeys and environmental scientist so they have lots in common) and Patty and I caught up on recent deaths, divorces and degrees. The entire time paul would look at me evey few moments just barely able to hold his conversation. Patty would giggle at him of course and we would all chuckle. I heard pookey say to paul that finding me out has become very difficult because he was used to finding the biggest girl in the crowd to see me, now he has to actually pay attention to what clothes/colors Im wearing or he walks right past me.
All in all it was a great day I got many beautiful clothes for my trip that actually look pretty darned good on me. Im no runway model, my panus is semi visible when I move certain ways but all in all I look 1000% better than I did a year ago :)
See Told ya Walking Was Good!
Jan 10, 2008
After a race, long or short, athletes walk it off.
There is a period of time after every performance or incident, be it athletic or personal, that, if we take the time to digest and reflect, we have a really good opportunity to get clear about what just happened.
Before a race, too, you’ll see athletes walking (or sitting) in solitary thinking about their imminent event. Afterwards, there is a time of reflection. It is good to review when everything is fresh in your mind. Walking is meditative and helpful for processing and reasoning.
The physical benefits of walking can be a great relief from stress, whether it’s the accumulated ‘everyday work/school/kids/traffic’ kind, the ‘something just happened, and I feel like I’m about to blow’ kind or the ‘yeah (or grunt) it’s the holidays, and I feel overstimulated, anxious, excited, and depressed all at the same time’ kind.
Regardless, you can take a walk, and walk it off.
So do what I do, use walking the way an athlete does: before your event, take a walk and prepare for what you are about to do. Think about the possibility of discomfort and disruption and how you can prevent it. Consider the possibility of eating or drinking too much, feeling lonely, or getting way too excited and over-committing yourself to things for the rest of the year.
Then, imagine the night, as you would like it to turn out - the way an athlete sees herself crossing the finish line ahead of the others. Hold that picture and take it with you, if you can, through the night.
After a party or any event, take a walk and think about how everything went; where you performed well and what you think you can improve. Don’t overlook small victories – take time to congratulate yourself on an experience well had.
Happy and Healthy -
Debbie Rocker
FROM: http://health.yahoo.com/experts/rockertraining/7113/walking-good-for-body-and-mind#post
laugh of the day :)
Jan 09, 2008
Daniel E.Nashville, TN Hugh Houston, M.D. RNY (10/29/07) Member Since: 06/02/04 [Latest Posts] |
Post Date: 1/9/08 12:56 pm Last Edit: 1/9/08 12:56 pm Oh boy . . . here it goes . . . I'm just gonna lay it all out there while totally realizing that a majority of this forums members are of the female persuasion. I'm just gonna say it like it is and take my possible beating like a man. 
|
| Daniel E. Nashville, TN Hugh Houston, M.D. RNY (10/29/07) Member Since: 06/02/04 [Latest Posts] |
Post Date: 1/9/08 1:41 pm I've got chicks fighting over me!?!? AWESOME! Feel free to strip down and oil yourselves up before the fisticuffs begin. I'll just sit here quietly in the corner . . . *grabs popcorn and video camera* |
hehehehhe
Jan 09, 2008
Cry Fest
Jan 08, 2008
Well its finally happening! Last July some of us saw a post from a lovely lady named Beth about a 4 day cruise with really good prices for people of our kind. Even though we were still getting to know each other then we jumped at this opportunity to have a second bond. I remember dreaming of the possibility of being "slimmer" than my 190 pounds of then, did I think I would be in the 140's? NO! So here I am 20 days before leaving at 147 pounds, feeling better than I have in years and so excited about meeting OHers I can barely type a complete thought!!!
Since getting my surgery 16 months ago I have not known a single person that had RNY. I know a few with stomach stapling (from the 80's/90's) and to be honest Im embarrassed to talk to them. I feel guilty for losing so much weight. Its not that they didnt do marvelously, they just started out over 400 pounds. They never got skinny but they kept off A LOT of weight and added many years to their lives. Weight loss surgery is so uncommon here for "normal" people that people equate me to a celebrity when I tell them about it since they have never known anyone real to get it done.
Lonely doesn't begin to describe this journey. It has felt like I may as well be alone in the universe as be here some days. Making OH friends has been more than a life line. It took me from just scraping by to finding a real purpose and a place to fit in. There have been times over the year that I've been here that I was overly sensitive to board drama and issues. I was overly sensitive to everything in general. The mood swings and temporary insanity of losing huge chunks of weight on top of my usual problems made for some heated days ;) I got heated because I love you guys. I'm pretty self centered so when people leave the board, it feels like they are leaving me. When the drama starts and people stop posting it severred me from the only people in my world who can help me or understand what Im going through. Or so it feels at the time.
All of this in one short year. I made my first post here on January 18th, 2006. Not even a year to make some of the best connections of my life. In but 20 days I will get to feel with my hands the people I have felt with my heart for so long. Is this "just a message board"? It is if you want it to be. You get out of it what you put into it. My 4000 posts and daily interaction have given me great rewards. I suppose most people dont need this as much as I have, but I know many of you do. So dont be scared to reach out and be needy, odds are there is someone already there meeting you half way :)
Since getting my surgery 16 months ago I have not known a single person that had RNY. I know a few with stomach stapling (from the 80's/90's) and to be honest Im embarrassed to talk to them. I feel guilty for losing so much weight. Its not that they didnt do marvelously, they just started out over 400 pounds. They never got skinny but they kept off A LOT of weight and added many years to their lives. Weight loss surgery is so uncommon here for "normal" people that people equate me to a celebrity when I tell them about it since they have never known anyone real to get it done.
Lonely doesn't begin to describe this journey. It has felt like I may as well be alone in the universe as be here some days. Making OH friends has been more than a life line. It took me from just scraping by to finding a real purpose and a place to fit in. There have been times over the year that I've been here that I was overly sensitive to board drama and issues. I was overly sensitive to everything in general. The mood swings and temporary insanity of losing huge chunks of weight on top of my usual problems made for some heated days ;) I got heated because I love you guys. I'm pretty self centered so when people leave the board, it feels like they are leaving me. When the drama starts and people stop posting it severred me from the only people in my world who can help me or understand what Im going through. Or so it feels at the time.
All of this in one short year. I made my first post here on January 18th, 2006. Not even a year to make some of the best connections of my life. In but 20 days I will get to feel with my hands the people I have felt with my heart for so long. Is this "just a message board"? It is if you want it to be. You get out of it what you put into it. My 4000 posts and daily interaction have given me great rewards. I suppose most people dont need this as much as I have, but I know many of you do. So dont be scared to reach out and be needy, odds are there is someone already there meeting you half way :)
Are you dieting?
Jan 07, 2008
I find it fasinating how many people treat RNY like they treated dieting in the past. This isnt dieting, if it feels like dieting YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG! I really took to heart the "lifestyle change" aspect of RNY. People read my posts today, over a year later, and think THIS is how its done. They dont get to see the day to day work it took for the first 6 months to make the lifestyle change. Sometimes I forget about it too because I really have become my new life.
Things I did to change:
Eating: if the definition of eating were to chew and taste food, I doubt I ate more than once a week pre op, heck I should have been SKINNY! Learning to eat slow was HARD for me..
I cut my food into baby sized pieces
I kept plate to the left and never in front of me
I ate with left hand (Im not agile enough to shovel since my hand is deficient)
I always eat while doing something so Im not bored between bites (I know the OPPOSITE of what everyone else says but I cant just eat AND eat slowly)
Cooking:
No more margerine, only the 67% less fat stuff very occaisionally
no more fat fried anything (1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil per serving at most)
changed the basic meal from carbs topped with protein to protein topped with carbs
No more white's (sugar, flour, pasta or rice)
No more staples (staples are cheap foods to fill us up, almost always carbs)
No more boxed food
No more salt/pepper (cooking or on the table)
Planning:
No more just putting food in my mouth because its there
Start the day HIGH on protein so the end of the day isnt LOW
Prepare for going out (nuts and protein bars are my weapons)
Prepare for low sugars (which means DONT drink oj or other crap when low, I have oatmeal)
have meal plans ready in advance, I actually pre package my food so I can pull it out and eat without "thinking" or more importantly, OVER THINKING, often by the time Im hungry Im mentally in a state where chosing foods is like the most complicated decision in the world and I feel overwhelmed with choices.
Fixing MY bad habits
NEVER eat fast food again, period. (never meaning at any point I have the option NOT to and not all of the what if scenarios)
I had to start eating OFTEN instead of 1 HUGE meal a day
I had to stop eating out, I get obsessed with going out to eat
I had to stop eating what hubby eats (he is 6'3 and active with really good genes he shouldnt have to change his behaviours for my gender, height, gene issues)
I stopped eating with other people completely until about 7 months out
I had to learn to focus on ME and my long term/short term needs/goals and not just my food.
People often ask for meal plans because they want the quick fix. Getting fat isnt about what we eat its about how we eat. Since we are all very individual in these issues a meal plan just wont cut it. That is a DIET. Im not on a diet I HAVE a diet.
I can honestly say I can and do eat everything I did pre op. I changed how I eat not "what" I ate foods that could be healthy BUT eating 2 whole pizzas, even if they are low fat, whole grain crust is still 2400 calories. I could eat like that twice a day pre op. Now I eat 1/4th of the pizza, double up on proteins and get 400 cals, 6 fiber and 20 proteins (not a good early op meal but Im trying to UP my cals these days) and feel STUFFED and satisfied. I dont eat 2 big macs, 2 fajitas, super fry and shake now. I Can have a home made fajita for 1 meal and a very small home made cheeseburger on whole wheat for another. SAME food, just different focus and way different portion size.
Things I did to change:
Eating: if the definition of eating were to chew and taste food, I doubt I ate more than once a week pre op, heck I should have been SKINNY! Learning to eat slow was HARD for me..
I cut my food into baby sized pieces
I kept plate to the left and never in front of me
I ate with left hand (Im not agile enough to shovel since my hand is deficient)
I always eat while doing something so Im not bored between bites (I know the OPPOSITE of what everyone else says but I cant just eat AND eat slowly)
Cooking:
No more margerine, only the 67% less fat stuff very occaisionally
no more fat fried anything (1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil per serving at most)
changed the basic meal from carbs topped with protein to protein topped with carbs
No more white's (sugar, flour, pasta or rice)
No more staples (staples are cheap foods to fill us up, almost always carbs)
No more boxed food
No more salt/pepper (cooking or on the table)
Planning:
No more just putting food in my mouth because its there
Start the day HIGH on protein so the end of the day isnt LOW
Prepare for going out (nuts and protein bars are my weapons)
Prepare for low sugars (which means DONT drink oj or other crap when low, I have oatmeal)
have meal plans ready in advance, I actually pre package my food so I can pull it out and eat without "thinking" or more importantly, OVER THINKING, often by the time Im hungry Im mentally in a state where chosing foods is like the most complicated decision in the world and I feel overwhelmed with choices.
Fixing MY bad habits
NEVER eat fast food again, period. (never meaning at any point I have the option NOT to and not all of the what if scenarios)
I had to start eating OFTEN instead of 1 HUGE meal a day
I had to stop eating out, I get obsessed with going out to eat
I had to stop eating what hubby eats (he is 6'3 and active with really good genes he shouldnt have to change his behaviours for my gender, height, gene issues)
I stopped eating with other people completely until about 7 months out
I had to learn to focus on ME and my long term/short term needs/goals and not just my food.
People often ask for meal plans because they want the quick fix. Getting fat isnt about what we eat its about how we eat. Since we are all very individual in these issues a meal plan just wont cut it. That is a DIET. Im not on a diet I HAVE a diet.
I can honestly say I can and do eat everything I did pre op. I changed how I eat not "what" I ate foods that could be healthy BUT eating 2 whole pizzas, even if they are low fat, whole grain crust is still 2400 calories. I could eat like that twice a day pre op. Now I eat 1/4th of the pizza, double up on proteins and get 400 cals, 6 fiber and 20 proteins (not a good early op meal but Im trying to UP my cals these days) and feel STUFFED and satisfied. I dont eat 2 big macs, 2 fajitas, super fry and shake now. I Can have a home made fajita for 1 meal and a very small home made cheeseburger on whole wheat for another. SAME food, just different focus and way different portion size.
About Me
Fredericton,
Location
24.3
BMI
Surgery
09/19/2006
Surgery Date
Oct 27, 2006
Member Since
